Marriages 1852 - 1854

1852-1854 - grouped by county and record type, then arranged by certificate number, these records of marriage were kept by the Register of Wills for each county with returns sent to the Department of State. These returns are available for 47 of the 64 counties (listed below) existing at that time; however, they are not complete for each county. Digital images of the records along with a search capability are available at www.ancestry.com. Film copies of the marriage records can also be found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Marriages 1855 - 1884

State and county marriage records do not exist for this time period. To locate marriage records during these years, start with church records. Some large cities have marriage registers, but they are often difficult to search.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Record

If you did not find your ancestor in the above database, follow the instructions below:

When ordering Pennsylvania marriage records: Ask for the marriage license or the marriage register, not the marriage certificate. The license or register usually contains more information. Always order from the county where the marriage occurred.

PART A: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage

If you know the county of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the county clerk.

If you don't know the date or county of marriage, you can also try searching for marriage information in other records.

PART B: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records